Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-06-07
UNCLE SANS MAILS.
How SwindIers Are Detected by Post-
Office Inspectors.
tSnecial Correspondence.1

How swindlers Are Detected by POST
Office Inspectors.
Especial Correspondence
CLEVELAND, May 80.
Tn a recent conversation with a veteran
postoffice inspector, learned some very in
teresting things about the guarding Of the
United States mails
"The worst case l ever had" said the in
spector, "was in a country Office in Pennsyl-
yania Letters had been stolen on certain
hack route obtained a broad brimmed hat
and announced that l had come into the
neighborhood to buy cattle. I sent decoy
letters and kept close watch of oil the offices.
At length had things pretty well centered
on single Office 1t was kept by an old Ger
man who was noted for his honesty. His
deputy was his 1S-year-old daughter, beau
tiful girl, who was engaged to be married to
a rich farmer of the neighborhood. My sus-
picions were fastened upon this girl waited
in the neighborbood for a week in order to
make a trial when the old people were away
from home. At length they left town for the
day and the Office was in the hands Of the
daughter. / dropped decoy letter into the
bag just before it came into the Office, and
examining the mail after it left the Office
found that it had been taken. l waited till
no one was present except the fair deputy
postmistress and then, deliberately locking the
| door, l stepped behind the cases and said in a
| deep, scpulchral voice:
"'I want the letter which you took from the
bag today
She went into violent fit of Mysteries She
tore her beautiful hair and wept copiopsy. l
stood calmly before her, looking as much as
possible like Nemesis. At length she stopped
short and, throwing her arms around my
neck, she pteously besought me:
"'You won't send me to state prison. will
you, my dear, good mans Please DON'T
"'That will depend upon whether you win
tell me everything about this case,' said 1.
"I'll tell you everything. have taken
the letters, every one of them. Father is not
to blame, and his heart will be broken.
couldn't get anything decent to wear and
thought had to have money, so took the
letters. Oh, mister, you won't send me to
state prison, will you' I am engaged to be
married. o Observation-Disclosures shall dog
81 told her that l would do the best could,
and perhaps it might be fixed up without her
| going to prison.
| "When the postmaster and his wife re-
| turned they Immediately saw that something
had happened. They at first believed that
had injured their daughter in some way, and
were disposed to attack me. But the young
| lady was fast to explain:
"'This man is the best man that ever lived
| He has saved me-
"That was more unintelligble than ever to
the old people. But at length all was ex-
planned and understood. Under the circum-
| stances 1 decided not to arrest the girl. I
could see no good that would come of it, and
much evil made the old gentleman prom
Use that she should never again touch the mails.
few months later she was married and now
is the mother of several children and is much
respected i'll the neighbolhood.
"Abcut the funniest case l ever had any,
thing to do WITH" the inspector continued,
"was that of a country editor"
"Relate it," said |, still interested.
| well, there were some circulars put in nv
hands which read as follows:
GREENBACKS! GREENBACKs.
Twill furnish money as good as genuine for ten
| per cent of face value. Send 81 for sample lot
| Strictly confidt ntial. JOHN ADAMS
II saw Immediately that the circular was
| printed III country office, and knew that
there was on'y one office in the vicinit-. I
knew this printer well, and had not the least
suspicion that he had anything to do with
getting up the circulars. / deci led to call on
him, as felt sure he might be able to help on
the case. l accordingly visited the printer
and, showing him the circular, inquired:
}
"T! tell you how that was, said the ed
itor, visibly confused. THAT was all a joke
"'Flease explain the joke said l.
"'Well, now, let me say that no one hates
| counterfei;ers SO badly as l do. simply de
test anything of the kind. l don't think there
| is anybody that hates lying so badly as do,
| either l wouldn't lie for anything in the
world Now, l printed those circulars and
decided to send them out and see il / couldn't
! find out some fellows who would like to be
| counterfeiters.'
"'Well, how is it about this fictitious name,
and what did you propose to do when they
sent you the dollarsp
"'Well, Iii tell you about that. AS said
before, hate lying. Now, my initials are
j. A, and my first two names are John Ad-
| ans. You see that was no lie When got
the money i expected to send them some good
advice. Now, if advice is worth anything, il
is worth dollar, and intended to send them
Il dollars worth. So you see it was all joke.
| You can keep it all quiet if you have mind
| TO, can't you! You won't make any scandal,
| will youa
~ shall be obliged to lay all the points of
this joke before the district attorney He may
| consider 1t of no consequence and dismiss it
but can do nothing less
| THE editor was leading church member.
and was considered one Of the big men of the
town. He immediately consulted a lawyer
and the two decided not to wait for the dis
trlct attorney to send for them, but to go to
| him Immediately.
through the mails, but finally escaped goi
to the penitentiary, and is still publishing hi,
paper" LCR.